Jan 082024
 
Don "Wink" Martindale, New York Giants (January 21, 2023)

Don “Wink” Martindale – © USA TODAY Sports

WINK MARTINDALE, THOMAS McGAUGHEY, BOBBY JOHNSON, DREW WILKINS OUT…
New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale has resigned from the team in order to pursue other coaching opportunities. Since Martindale was under contract, this was likely a mutual parting of the ways.

In addition, the team has fired Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey, Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson, Outside Linebackers Coach Drew Wilkins, and Defensive Assistant Kevin Wilkins (Drew and Kevin are brothers).

The 60-year old Martindale was hired by the Giants in 2022 after serving four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. He had also coached the linebacker units in Baltimore from 2012 to 2017.

The 50-year old McGaughey first served with the Giants from 2007 to 2010 as assistant special teams coordinator under Head Coach Tom Coughlin. After stints with Louisiana State University, the New York Jets, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Carolina Panthers, McGaughey returned to the Giants as special teams coordinator in 2018 under Head Coach Pat Shurmur. He was retained by both Head Coach Joe Judge (2020-2021) and Head Coach Brian Daboll (2022-2023).

The 50-year old Johnson served as offensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills from 2019 to 2021 with then Bills Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll. Johnson was hired by Daboll with the Giants in 2022.

The 36-year old Drew Wilkins came over from the Baltimore Ravens with Martindale in 2022. Drew served in various capacities with the Ravens from 2010 to 2021. Kevin Wilkins also came over from Baltimore, where he served in various capacities from 2015 to 2021.

As previously reported, the Florida Gators hired Director of Strength and Performance Craig Fitzgerald in the same position and Syracuse University hired Running Backs Coach Jeff Nixon to be their offensive coordinator.

GIANTS RE-SIGN 10 PLAYERS…
The Giants have re-signed the following ten players, who were on the team’s Practice Squad, to reserve/future contracts:

  • RB Deon Jackson
  • WR Dennis Houston
  • OL Yodny Cajuste
  • OL Joshua Miles
  • OL Jalen Mayfield
  • DL Ryder Anderson
  • ILB Dyontae Johnson
  • OLB Jeremiah Martin
  • CB Kaleb Hayes
  • CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver

2024 GIANTS OPPONENTS SET…
The list of teams the Giants will play in 2024:

  • Home: Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Indianapolis
  • Away: Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, Carolina, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Seattle

JANUARY 8, 2024 JOE SCHOEN AND BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

BRIAN DABOLL: So just a couple things here and then we’ll open up to questions. Made two staff changes this morning, moved on from (former offensive line coach) Bobby Johnson and from (former Special Team Coordinator) Thomas McGaughey. I want to thank those guys for what they’ve done the last two years. This is the hard part of the job, I have a lot of respect for them. Just felt we we’re going to move in a different direction, not going add anything to it. These were private conversations but I do respect both of those guys and what they’ve done the last two years, their commitment to the team, their work ethic but wanted to make a change. Again, those are private conversations, I’m not going to elaborate on any of it.

Q: On Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale and Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka returning.

BRIAN DABOLL: My expectation is Wink and Kafka will both be back so those are two of the changes we made this morning but there’s still conversations that are going to be had. We’ve only been here for a short time but those were two of the guys in the morning that I spoke with. Other than that, again, appreciate the way the guys finished and competed yesterday. We had an offseason meeting, leading into the offseason just a little while ago with the staff and the players and the coaches and all the administrators. It was a good year-end meeting. They’re meeting now with their offense and defense, respectively, position coaches. (Senior Vice President/General Manager) Joe (Schoen) and I will have some meetings here with the rookie class, with the second-year class, the UFA class after this conference here. Other than that, open it up to any questions.

Q: What are you looking for in an offensive line coach?

BRIAN DABOLL: Again, that’s a good question. That’s something that we’ll sit down and talk about as a staff, and we’ll work through that.

Q: What went into your thinking with deciding that both Mike and Wink will both return?

BRIAN DABOLL: It’s my expectation that they’re going to come back. I think they’re good coaches, so it’ll be good to have some continuity and bring them back. I know Wink talks about this as a destination place and things like that, it’s good. I appreciate how hard they work, their commitment to the team, so that’s my plan.

Q: Have you had conversations with them about that? I know you said last week you said that you haven’t had conversations with people.

BRIAN DABOLL: Not yet. I haven’t talked to those guys; I’ve talked to the guys that I let go, but that’s my expectation and that’s my plan.

Q: Would it be your expectation that Mike returns in the same role as a play caller?

BRIAN DABOLL: Those are conversations we’ll have here over the next few months of what direction we’ll go and we’ll make those decisions as we do a full evaluation.

Q: I’m sure you saw last week that (running back) Saquon (Barkley) said that he hopes in his exit meeting that you guys shoot him straight. Is a second franchise tag a viable option for him? Or is it get a long-term deal done before free agency?

JOE SCHOEN: Again, Saquon and I will talk about that. That’s a tool we have at our disposal. When we redid his deal before he came to camp, that wasn’t taken out of that deal. It wasn’t a ‘hey, we’ll do this but no franchise tag’ so that’s an option that we have on the table. We’ll have those conversations; I’m not saying we will, or we won’t. A lot of those conversations will be had over the next month or so.

Q: How much does (quarterback) Daniel’s (Jones) timeline for recovery affect what direction you’ll go with quarterback? Do you have a cutoff date where you say ‘okay, if he’s not at this point by this date,’ you go draft? Or free agency or anything like that?

JOE SCHOEN: Like I said during the bye week, I think ultimately we have to do something like, as I said, whether it’s the draft or a free agent just because (quarterback) Tyrod’s (Taylor) contract is up, we have (quarterback) Tommy (DeVito) who’s under contract and then Daniel’s injury and the return to play and the uncertainty there. When free agency starts, the draft, whichever avenue we decide to take, we will address the position.

Q: How much does his injury history overall just factor into the future at that position? Do you have to take that into consideration?

JOE SCHOEN: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Q: Do you feel like you can build a team around a quarterback who has that injury history now? With two neck injuries and now a torn ACL?

JOE SCHOEN: Yes.

It’s football and guys get hurt. You can’t always predict it. I think guys who have previous injuries – you’ve got to look at the injuries individually and what they were and how they were caused but I’ve got a lot of faith in our training staff as well. So again, hopefully he’ll be back for week one. Again, we don’t have a crystal ball here, but we’ll continue to build the team the way we see best.

Q: So, is it out of the question that Tyrod comes back?

JOE SCHOEN: No. No, it’s not out the question. We’ll talk to all the UFAs, like (Head Coach Brian Daboll) Dabs said, and we’ll have conversations with them. The representatives, by the time we get to the combine, we’ll usually circle up with those guys. So yeah, it’s not out of the question. I thought he played well for us.

Q: What is your overall message to the fans here at the end of the season? And what do you believe the identity of the Giants is?

JOE SCHOEN: The message is believe in the process. We came in here year one and were able to go to the playoffs and win a playoff game and this year it didn’t go as well as we wanted it to, for various reasons. We’ve all got a hand in it; we’ve all got to do better going into next year and we will. That’s what this offseason is about. I’ve got a lot of faith in the staff and Dabs and our process, whether it’s down in the weight room, the training staff, our draft process, free agency. I’ve got a lot of faith in the process, and we’ll get this thing turned around.

Q: I know it’s more than one thing, of course, but can you put your finger, as you kind of assessed it, what has gone wrong between last year and this year?

JOE SCHOEN: I don’t think there’s one thing. I mean, there’s a multitude of things –

Q: There’s a multitude of things, obviously the quarterback situation –

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I don’t want to go through all 17 games but again, like we were in – there were several games that we could’ve won for various reasons. I’m not going to get into the details of every single game, you guys were there. ‘Hey, if it would’ve went this way or the ball fell our way’ or whatever it was, we could be in a different situation right now. We’ve got to have a good offseason, we’ve got to be ready to go, we’ve got to start faster, and we’ve got to be consistent week in and week out.

Q: When it comes to the offensive line, you’ve spoken the past two years of walking that line between development and having guys that are experienced and ready to go. After this year, going forward at that position, is there a solution in terms of young guys aren’t coming across so we need to bring in someone who’s going to develop them more or do you need more experience? How do you handle that position that’s really been hit hard here for a while?

JOE SCHOEN: When you say the development are you talking about coaching or?

Q: Well coaching but also bringing in younger players that you’re going to now rely on. You’ve done that the last couple years and it seems like their development has not come up as quickly as you needed them to.

JOE SCHOEN: Sometimes you get the ready-made product through free agency, or you bring in a young player that you expect to develop and improve, and we’ve seen that at some positions and at some positions we haven’t. I think that’ll be, as Dabs looks for a new offensive line coach, I think history of developing players will be something we’ll definitely hit on.

Q: You had mentioned the last time that we talked to you that (tackle) Evan Neal needs to get better and then he never played again. How do you look at him going into his third year? Can you pencil him in as one of our five starters, probably right tackle? Or do you have to bring in competition at that spot.

JOE SCHOEN: We’ll go through all those conversations over the next couple of weeks. Evan worked his tail off last offseason, came in in great shape, had a good start to camp, had the concussion. I expect him to attack this offseason the same way and we’ll see how it plays out.

Q: How do evaluate Brian’s second season? Obviously, you guys had promising first year, go to the playoffs, win a playoff game. How do you evaluate year two?

JOE SCHOEN: I thought Brian did a good job. If you’ve been in the league long enough, you’ve seen some teams quit and you’ve seen some players mail it in at the end of the season. I just think part of the reflection of the job that he did was that we went through adversity. Sometimes you have to go through it. We’re still in year two so things were pretty good in year one. We started fast, had a playoff win and maybe you didn’t see where all the issues were, whether it was in the building, on the team, in the coaching staff, wherever it may have been. Going through it, I think it sucked but it also opened our eyes to some things that maybe need to change, or we need to get better (or) we need to change the process. I think the biggest thing for Dabs is that he kept the team together. They continued to fight, they came and they prepared every week. The leaders did a good job of leading through difficult times and I think the results showed yesterday.

Q: What comes to your mind when you say you need to change process or things that you need to change?

JOE SCHOEN: I mean, it can be a multitude of things. I mean, it’s everything we do within the organization is going to be evaluated during this time.

Q: Something that you already came to the conclusion that you want to change?

JOE SCHOEN: We’re going to evaluate ourselves, again, whether it was, okay, what did we do when we signed (inside linebacker) Bobby O(kereke)? Did we nail that? (Wide receiver) Parris (Campbell) ended up not playing as much, let’s evaluate that process, what happened there. Those are type things that we’re going to go through and continue to evaluate our process, whether it was where we drafted guys, the way we signed guys, the way we practiced. We had some injuries at certain points of the year, are we’re doing things the right way. The entire process we’re going to evaluate.

Q: So, are you saying to some degree that some of the minor flaws or whatever that may have been present last year, you overlook a little bit because you are having success as a team, that maybe raised their heads this year, so to speak?

JOE SCHOEN: No, I’m not necessarily saying that, but there is a chance that that could happen. Again, you can look through things through rose colored glasses sometimes when things are going well. Maybe you put more weight in something that wasn’t, but again we’re going to continue to evaluate every part of the process and again, we’ll be better off for it, going through this.

Q: Obviously, the draft is pretty far down the road, but do you feel – you say you need to add to the quarterback room, do you need to add someone to that room someone who can potentially start and compete with Daniel for a job?

JOE SCHOEN: Well, there’s a chance he’s not ready week one, so yeah. You got to sign somebody that you can hope – again, plan for the worst, hope for the best, like you plan for him not being ready, so you’re going to need somebody that can hopefully win you some games early on if he’s not ready.

Q: And if he’s healthy, he’s anticipated to be healthy at some point at the start of the season or early in the season, do you have the same faith of him right now as you did when you signed him to the contract?

JOE SCHOEN: Yes.

Q: Something along those lines, have you had a chance to scout the quarterbacks expected to go at the draft of the top and how would you assess this class overall? Are there impact players immediately?

JOE SCHOEN: I would say overall it’s a good draft. We’re kind of moving out of that COVID cycle of the players getting the extra years and what not, so overall I think it’s a good draft and again, where we’re picking, I think it’s sixth, 39th, 47 I believe is the Seattle pick and then 70th. So, four picks in the top 70, you’ll have to fact check me on that, my guys sent me that last night, so I didn’t get a chance this morning to double check, but I think that’s what it is, so chance to have four players in the top 70, I’m excited about that. Again, that’s a way to impact the roster and it also gives you currency if you want to move around, or move up, move back, whatever it may be. Those are tools that you can use to continue to execute whatever the plan may be.

Q: How do you evaluate your second season?

JOE SCHOEN: It was a tough season. Again, that’s part of the things that we’ll do over the next few weeks is assess ourselves. I’m always evaluating myself on a daily basis because there is so many decisions that we make and so many things that go across my desk on a daily basis and there’s always room for improvement. At the end of the day, it starts with me, and I’ve got to do a better job throughout the entire organization. We’re a six-win team, you are what your record says you are, and I’ve got to do a better job.

Q: You mentioned Parris. Thinking year one to year two at receiver, do you feel, I mean I know it’s hindsight but did you overcompensate at the position because of the injuries that you had the previous year knowing that (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) was coming back, you didn’t know how quickly he was going to be back in the slot because it seemed like, as much as we talk about duplication, it almost felt like you were waiting for injuries to sort themselves out and the way it happened, it seemed like everybody was available and that kind of cut down on the opportunities for Parris and even (wide receiver) Shep(ard Sterling) to an extent?

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, that’s a good question and so what it was, again, coming off an ACL, Wan’Dale coming off an ACL, so we didn’t know when he was going to be ready. We thought Parris would be a guy that could play inside, outside and I wouldn’t’ say overcompensate but we were trying to add some weapons. You do a deal with Daniel and you see how it was structured, so you try to expedite the process and give him a chance to succeed. Parris is a player that will still play in this league, I think he’s got a bright future. Things maybe didn’t go as well as he wanted this year, but the guy is a true pro and never once complained or fussed about it and he’s got a bright future. I think the kid has talent.

Q: How do you evaluate the rookie class?

JOE SCHOEN: Again, like any rookie class, you’re going to have highs and lows. I think the first three guys, I think everybody saw their ability. I think (cornerback Deonte) Tae Banks is going to be a really good corner in this league. (Center) John Michael (Schmitz) is going to be a good center and (wide receiver Jalin) Hyatt is going to be a good receiver. I think you saw with Jalin the explosive play ability. The intangibles for John Michael are off the charts, he’s got leadership potential. I’d be surprised if he’s not a captain down the road. Again, Tae Banks, with rare physical ability, and as he continues to grow and mature; what he did against some of the very good receivers in this league as a rookie, I thought was pretty impressive, so those guys are good. I thought (running back) Eric Gray had a good game last night when he was given opportunities. He probably didn’t get as many opportunities this year as he would’ve liked, but that’s a testament to Saquon and his availability. And then I thought some of the later round guys did a good job, too. Excited about (defensive lineman) Jordon Riley. Again, those guys have a big offseason coming into next year. We’ll expect them to be – either those guys are going to start or depth contributors going into year two.

Q: How do you evaluate the (tight end Darren) Waller trade and do you view him as an important piece going forward?

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I would do it again. I would do it again with Waller. I mean, you guys saw him this spring, you saw him in the summer. Unfortunately, he had the injury before the Dallas game. Again, he was still a productive part of our offense when available. I would do that again every day of the week.

Q: So, he’ll be back?

JOE SCHOEN: What’s that?

Q: Darren will be back?

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we’ll have those conversations with the staff, but the expectation is he’ll be back.

Q: With the margins being as small as they are in the league, when you look at last year’s team and this year’s team, obviously six wins this year, nine last year plus the playoff win. How close were these two teams in reality when you look at it?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, well you know every season is a different season. Every team different. We closed out some games that first year, you know on the foot line against Jacksonville or the two-point conversion with Saquon being dead to rights. Tennessee missed a field goal. So, some of those – and the last play against Green Bay if you will. Games, a lot of these games, come down to at the end of the game, they’re close games and we had a few of those this year, whether it was the Buffalo game, whether it was the Jet game, whether it was the Rams game, that we didn’t close out. I’d say there’s always a difference, there’s some similarities, there’s obviously some differences. Got a lot of work to do but appreciate the way the guys competed. Again, the margin is very small in this league and that’s why there change every year in terms of playoff teams and not playoff teams. I don’t know what it is, how many years for four different playoff teams? What is it, 15? Whatever it is that I heard, something I heard. So, looking forward to really diving in, deep dive into really every aspect of the organization. Coaching, players, evaluation, staff and working to get better. It’s day one, 12 hours after our last game, so we’ll start on this and look forward to that process.

Q: The young guys who were affected by injuries, what do you lean on in terms of evaluating them, especially if they don’t have a lot on tape to really look at?

JOE SCHOEN: I’m trying to think, anybody specific?

Q: I’m thinking (offensive lineman Marcus) McKethan, (offensive lineman Joshua) Ezeudu, guys like that.

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, it’ll be big years for those guys. I mean, you’re going into year three and unfortunately – McKethan was healthy, he didn’t really come to – what was it, like third week of camp, I think, was when he started to practice, so he missed a valuable part of camp, but unfortunately Josh has been injured two years in a row, so yeah, I mean it’s a big offseason for those guys. I know they are planning on hanging around and being around the strength and conditioning staff and whoever we end up hiring as an o-line coach, but yeah, it’s a big year, third year, you’ve got to show something.

Q: Does it all begin with the offensive line in your mind? It’s an area that the Giants have struggled at for a number of years in a row.

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I think that’s important. Again, ultimately, it’s a team game, and I’d like to believe that starts up front on both sides of the ball. So yeah, that’s something that we’re going to have to look into. We’ve got to be better.

Q: (Safety Xavier) McKinney views himself as one of the elite safeties in the NFL. He’s headed into free agency. Do you see him that way, and what’s the interest in retaining him?

JOE SCHOEN: We’re going to talk to all those guys. I’m not going to negotiate myself against myself and call him elite or make some hyperbolic statement about how great he is. But no, I like Xavier McKinney. He’s been a good player since we’ve gotten here. He’s young, he played 100 percent of the snaps, checks a lot of the boxes. He’s a guy that we’ll obviously talk with. It’s just you’ve got so many resources and how are you going to divvy them up when you put the puzzle together in the offseason. So yeah, he’ll be a guy that we’ll talk to, obviously.

Q: Would you be open to using the tag on him?

JOE SCHOEN: We’ll have those conversations. Again, having just went through the tag, it’s not something I want to use on a year in and year out basis, but it’s a tool at our disposal. So, we’ll talk through all that stuff.

Q: You mentioned evaluating everything. You assume that’s a lot of bad stuff and stuff that didn’t go well, but you also mentioned signing Bobby O. That, I would imagine, is an example of a signing that you made that hit probably 100 percent. When you look at that signing, what can you take from that that can help you moving forward with other signings?

JOE SCHOEN: I would say that process—(defensive lineman) A’Shawn (Robinson), I think, was a good addition. I think Nacho (defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches) was a good addition. (Safety/inside linebacker) Isaiah Simmons was a good addition. I think extending (defensive lineman) Dexter (Lawrence II) was a good decision. (Tackle) Andrew Thomas was… You know what I mean?

You go through and you’re always evaluating yourself and so I think our free agent process was good. We brought in guys that fit our culture, they were good guys, they helped elevate their rooms and Bobby O’s one of those guys. I think that process overall went well, and again, we’ve just got to continue to—we’ve really had one offseason where we’ve had financial flexibility. Those were some of the guys that we brought in. I’m excited to get together with my leadership group and the pro scouting staff and hopefully have another good offseason and bring in guys that can bring similar value to the team as those guys.

Q: You mentioned culture right there. Two years in, how do you define the culture now and are you where you want to be?

JOE SCHOEN: I think last night is a good example. The last two weeks, even against the Rams, or even the second half of the Philly game on Christmas Day. The guys continue to come in and put in the work, compete, and we were in those games. I mean, Philly’s a playoff team, the Rams are a playoff team, and the last three games a year against two teams that are going to the playoffs. We took them down to the end and we beat Philadelphia. The ball goes our way, make the field goal versus the Rams, or the two-point play, or whatever it may be, who knows how it turns out. We took those guys down to the end and I think that’s, again, a testament to Dabs and the staff and the character of the players in the locker room.

Q: How do you think you guys can manage the injuries going into next season? I know you’re always evaluating this stuff, so any ideas now?

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, absolutely. I know, you guys are aware that (Director of Strength and Conditioning) Craig Fitzgerald left for Florida. So, we’re in the process of looking for a strength and conditioning coach, and we’ll probably have something in place here shortly. We’re going to look at, again, every aspect of football operations, and have talks with (Head Athletic Trainer) Ronnie (Barnes) and his staff. How we do things year-round to—it’s football, so there’s 31 other teams that are playing football as well. We know injuries are going to happen. But where we rank in the injury category, every year, you want to get better and get in that top 10, top five if you can, because it gives you the best chance to win. Not just on the field, but there’s a domino effect to your salary cap and replacement costs. If you’re consistently in the bottom third, that hurts you in several different areas. So that’s part of the process we’re going to continue to evaluate.

Q: When you talk injuries, I think there’s this perception that it’s the strength and conditioning, or it’s the medical staff. How does that all work tied together when you’re analyzing where the issues may be from an injury perspective for you? Because I know some of it is different, right? I mean, some of it is prevention, but also it’s the medical staff’s involvement when players do get injured.

JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, and I’ve got a lot of faith in our medical staff and they’re very good at what they do. We have these conversations all the time. Belly (tight end Daniel Bellinger) missed some time last year, he got punched in the eye, you can’t prevent that. There are some things that are freak accidents, and you can’t prevent. We had six ACLs last year; we had two this year. One was in the preseason, one was Daniel. So, we improved there. Our soft tissue stuff has improved a year ago.

So again, if there’s a consistent injury that keeps popping up, you’re going to dive into that. Some of it is just football. We have the video of all the injuries, we go back, we analyze it, and we look at our strength and conditioning, is there something we can do better to help improve whatever that injury is? Or is it our return to play? We look at all that, and we’re going to continue to look at that. Some of it’s the player acquisition process. As we’re drafting players or signing players in free agency, are there body tests that we can do with the players? We’re looking into some of that just in terms of are there certain markers within the athlete’s physical makeup that lead them to be more durable and available on Sunday? So, we’re going to continue to look under every rock and again, having a healthy team gives you the best chance to win. So that’s the ultimate goal.

Q: You mentioned trying to expedite the process to help Daniel win with playmakers. How much does that remain a priority to upgrade that part of this team?

JOE SCHOEN: Offensively, we want to continue to upgrade. I think you saw last night Wan’Dale had some explosive plays, Hyatt’s an explosive-play guy, (wide receiver Darius) Slayton had some explosive plays, Waller was good for us down the stretch there when he came back. So, again, I think there’s offensive weapons. Saquon made some plays last night, too. It’s just a matter of being consistent. To see that on a week in and week out basis is the goal. We’ll continue to evaluate all that stuff. I think we do have some playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. If there’s, at the right price or the right spot in the Draft, a chance to upgrade, we’ll definitely look at it.

Q: As far as your staff, last year you let (former Running Backs Coach) DeAndre Smith leave for a lateral job. Is that a policy you have, or is it case by case? Would you let any of your assistants now who say they want to leave, leave?

BRIAN DABOLL: That’s something I talk with those guys about. Joe and I talk about it. Every situation is different.

Q: Speaking of staff, there was talk about Jeff Nixon, the running backs coach. Is he staying or is he leaving?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, he’s going to be the coordinator for Syracuse. Jeff’s done a great job. Jeff and I go way back. He eventually wants to become a college head football coach. Got a chance to say goodbye to him yesterday, his family, great people. His son is actually in the national championship tonight. So, he’s headed out there to watch him play.

Q: Has anybody asked to talk to any of your coordinators or assistants?

BRIAN DABOLL: No.

Q: How much cap space are you going to have?

JOE SCHOEN: Well, we don’t know the salary cap number yet. So, once we get that, we’ll have a better idea.

Q: What has ownership’s message been to you guys? I don’t know if you had a postseason meeting with (President and CEO) John (Mara) and (Chairman and Executive Vice President) Steve (Tisch) yet, but just curious what their overall tenor is about the season.

JOE SCHOEN: We talk to them on a daily basis.

BRIAN DABOLL: We talk to them every day pretty much. Good conversations. Private conversations. Great ownership. Appreciate them. It’s a good dynamic.

Q: Are you bullish on your team and this franchise going forward, and if so, why?

BRIAN DABOLL: Look, I’m confident in what we do, how we do things. Certainly, there’s a lot of things that we can improve. That’s what the offseason is for, really, in every aspect, like Joe talked about. Look forward to getting started. As you all know, once one thing ends, it starts up. So, then there’s the Senior Bowl and the East-West Game and evaluations, player evaluations, and the Combine. You enjoy that part of it, trying to improve your football team and improve the things that you think you can do better and we can do better collectively to get going for the next part of the season. So, you want to be playing this weekend. That’s the ultimate goal, to get yourself into that tournament, and we missed out on it. So, look forward to getting back into it and trying to improve in every way possible.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • QB Tommy DeVito (Video)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • WR Jalin Hyatt (Video)
  • LT Andrew Thomas (Video)
  • DL Dexter Lawrence (Video)
Nov 302023
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (September 10, 2023)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 NFL season could not have gone worse for Daniel Jones. Now the New York Giants find themselves at yet another crossroads with the controversial quarterback, a decision that very well could impact the fate of team management, the coaching staff, and the future competitiveness of the team.

THE HISTORY

The Giants first bet on Jones by selecting him sixth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Jones was the second quarterback taken in that draft, behind Kyler Murray, who was selected first overall by the Arizona Cardinals. The only other quarterback drafted in the first round that year was Dwayne Haskins by the Washington Football Team with the 15th overall selection. While both Murray and Jones have flashed, both have been disappointments given where they were drafted. Haskins not only flopped in Washington, but he was killed last year. Needless to say, it was not a good draft for quarterbacks.

Jones’ initial season was promising. He started 12 games, threw for over 3,000 yards, and completed 24 touchdown passes on team largely devoid of surrounding offensive talent. His biggest negative was a ridiculous number of fumbles. Eleven of his 18 fumbles were recovered by opposing teams, and combined with 12 interceptions, Jones was personally responsible for 23 turnovers. The other issue, which would grow with time, was that Jones missed two games due to an ankle injury. The Giants finished 4-12 on the season with Jones being 3-9 in games that he started.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (April 25, 2019)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

2020 was a huge disappointment for Jones. Head Coach Pat Shurmur was fired in January and replaced by Joe Judge. The new offensive coordinator was Jason Garrett. The team marginally improved its record to 6-10. But Jones missed two more games due to injury (hamstring and ankle). Worse, despite starting more games (14), Jones threw for fewer yards and far fewer (11) touchdowns. And turnovers remained an issue with 11 fumbles (6 lost) and 10 interceptions. Rather than building on his rookie season, Jones got worse.

2021 was train wreck for the entire franchise. Garrett was fired in November. Judge began to melt down in post-game press conferences and was fired after the season. General Manager Dave Gettleman, who drafted Jones, was “retired.” The team finished 4-13, losing its final six games in progressively more embarrassing fashion. As for Jones, he missed those final six games with a neck injury that landed him on Injured Reserve, fueling speculation at the time that his career might be in jeopardy. In the 11 games that he did start, he threw for just 2,400 yards and 10 touchdowns. His turnovers fell to 10 (seven interceptions and three lost fumbles). Rumors circulated that Judge had everyone playing scared, including Jones, who seemed to stop taking chances down the field.

January 2022 was the first low point for Daniel Jones. The promise of his rookie season had been wiped out due to his poor 2020 and 2021 seasons. He had yet to stay healthy in any of his three seasons, and there was concern about his future due to the neck issue. The national media had never accepted him as a legitimate quarterback and unprofessionally openly mocked him. The New York fanbase had now turned on him as well. It was widely believed that new General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll would not exercise the 5th-year option on Jones’ contract. In a vote of no-confidence, they did not, rejecting the option on the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft.

So Jones entered 2022 in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. While the team had not selected his replacement in the draft, it was expected by many that Jones would leave in free agency after the season. Some even speculated that newly-signed Tyrod Taylor would likely supplant Jones during the year either due to poor play or injury. Most believed his replacement would be drafted in April 2023 as the team was entering yet another complete rebuilding cycle and had shed $40 million against the salary cap.

This is where things started to turn around for Jones. Doctors said his neck was structurally sound enough to return to the playing field. Daboll and new Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka were clearly an upgrade over Judge and Garrett when it came to handling Jones. The offense still had its issues. The line was shaky. The starting tight end was a rookie. And the four wideouts who were supposed to form the heart of the receiving corps – Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard, Wan’Dale Robinson – either flamed out or got hurt. The coaches continually had to adjust on the fly, finally finding a run-centric RPO style that seemed to suit Jones well and make reads simpler for him.

The team started off surprisingly strong, winning nail-biter after nail-biter against favored teams, en route to a 7-2 start. The Giants were not scoring a lot of points, but they were keeping games close and finding a way to win in the 4th quarter. As injuries mounted on both offense and defense, the team fell back to earth, losing four games in a row. The season was saved with a defensive struggle in Washington followed by a 38-10 beatdown of the lowly Indianapolis Colts two weeks later, securing a playoff spot. Since the last game was now meaningless, the starters did not play in Week 17.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (January 15, 2023)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

The 2022 regular-season was arguably Jones’ best. He had improved his completion percentage to over 67 percent. He had reached a career-high QBR of 92.5. He had a career low in turnovers with eight (5 interceptions and three fumbles). For the first time in his pro career, he did not miss a game due to injury. Most importantly, he was 9-6-1 as a starter and the Giants were headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The downside? His career high 3,205 passing yards was pedestrian and his 15 passing touchdowns were very low by contemporary standards. That was partially offset, however, by 708 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns (single-season franchise records).

The high point for Jones came on January 15, 2023 against the 13-4 Minnesota Vikings. Jones was spectacular in that game, completing 24-of-35 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions (114.1 quarterback rating). He also ran  the ball 17 times for 78 yards, including two 4th-and-1 conversions. New York’s Cinderella ride ended against the Philadelphia Eagles the following week, as the Giants were hammered 38-7. Jones barely completed half his passes for just 135 yards and threw a pick.

THE CONTRACT

The Daniel Jones’ redemption story in 2022 was a complete surprise. Jones went from an object of mockery and derision to a hero receiving a standing ovation exiting a late-season game at MetLife. Fans who once wanted him gone were now complaining that the team had not exercised the 5th-year option. Very few were now calling for the Giants to move on. The questions became what was his true upside, and therefore, how much valuable salary cap space should the Giants use in an attempt to retain him as an upcoming unrestricted free agent?

As free agency approached in early March, the team had three options: (1) designate him a Franchise player (1-year, $29.7 million contract), (2) sign him to a long-term extension, or (3) let him test the free agent waters. No one was arguing for option #3 as there were a number of quarterback-hungry teams that might break the bank for Jones. Complicating matters was the team was having a hard time re-signing running back Saquon Barkley, who was seeking a bigger and possibly longer contract than the team was willing to give him. The Giants could only use the Franchise tag on one player and the clock was ticking. Right before the deadline, the Giants and Jones agreed to a new deal. The team then slapped the tag on Barkley, who was not happy about this turn of events.

The initial numbers surprised many. It wasn’t the the length of contract, four years, but the overall value, $160 million. $81 million of that contract was initially fully guaranteed. (It is largely forgotten that the contract was tweaked in September in an effort to create more salary cap space for the team, with an additional $8.42 million in salary converted into signing bonus).

What pundits and fans noticed was that the contract made it virtually impossible to part ways with Jones in 2023 and 2024 with $81.5 million and $69.3 million in dead money, respectively. However, it would be easier to cut or trade him in 2025 ($22.2 million) and 2026 ($11.1 million). “It’s really just a 2-year deal,” was the rose-colored glasses argument. “He’s an ascending player and this contract will look like a bargain in a couple of years.”

By all accounts, the 2023 training camp was Jones’ best. He played one series in the preseason and the starting offense looked like a well-oiled machine on that single drive. While the Eagles still might be too good to unseat, the Giants were ready to challenge the Cowboys for second-place in the NFC East.

THE 2023 DISASTER

The 2023 NFL season could not have gone worse for Daniel Jones. And it is easy to pick the exact moment that it all fell apart. On the initial drive of the home opener against the Cowboys, the Giants reached the 8-yard line. On 3rd-and-2, Andrew Thomas was penalized for a false start. A bad snap led to a fumble that lost 14 yards. Graham Gano’s 45-yard field goal was blocked for a touchdown, with Thomas suffering a pulled hamstring that would cause him to miss seven games. The Giants and Jones never really recovered.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 8, 2023)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

Jones would start the first five games of the season. He was forced to leave the game early in the 4th quarter of the Week 5 contest against the Miami Dolphins with yet another neck injury. Understandably, the alarm bells started going off again with this being his second neck injury in three years, the first having ended his season. The “good news” was that he only missed the next three games. But that was short-lived with Jones tearing the ACL of his right knee on the last play of the 1st quarter in his first game back. Season over.

The final numbers for Jones in 2023? 1-5 record as a starter. Two touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown. All three scores came in the second half of his only win. He didn’t score in the other five losses. Six interceptions and one fumble. 909 passing yards and 206 rushing yards. Sacked 30 times. Career-low 70.6 QBR. The team never scored an offensive touchdown in the first half of any game that Daniel Jones started.

THE BACKUPS

When Jones went down with the neck injury, Tyrod Taylor filled in until he suffered a rib injury in the first half of the Week 8 game against the New York Jets. Then undrafted rookie free agent Tommy DeVito was pressed into service. Taylor went 1-2 as a starter, with two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 92.1 QBR. DeVito has gone 2-1 as a starter, with seven touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 92.4 QBR.

With the schedule softening, the Giants improved their overall record from the 1-5 start to 4-8, with two games they should have also won against the Bills and Jets. Shockingly, the Giants were “this close” to being 6-6. Nevertheless, a 30-6 loss to the Raiders and 49-17 loss to the Cowboys were still rude doses of reality. Aside from a 24-point offensive “explosion” against the Commanders, the Giants are still struggling to score more than a touchdown per game.

THE NEVER-ENDING DEBATE

In the 28 years of this website, no subject has been debated more than Daniel Jones. When you consider the individual teams and personalities associated with this franchise since 1995, that’s quite an accomplishment. There are those who made up their mind on Daniel Jones from the moment he was drafted and will never like him. There are those who will make every excuse in the book for why he hasn’t been more than a losing quarterback. And there are those who hope for the best, root for the guy, but are still waiting for him to deliver the goods. Many remain on the fence, but after five years, their patience is running out.

“We’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up since he’s been here.” Let’s call this the John Mara defense. It is without question that the New York Giants have been a mess since Daniel Jones was drafted in April 2019. Since that time, they’ve changed general managers twice, head coaches three times, and offensive coordinators four times. Jones has never enjoyed even an average offensive line, having been sacked an astounding 179 times. He’s had starting receivers who were barely worthy of being practice squad-caliber. Jones hasn’t benefitted from being on a team with strong defensive or special teams units either, compounding the pressure placed on talent-deficient offenses. Jones proved in the Minnesota playoff game and others that he can get the job done when provided with enough support. Don’t just look at what he brings to the field as a passer, but also as a runner. Jones has the right “Eli Manning” personality for the city.

“He just stinks.” Let’s call this the Go Terps critique. It’s been five years. If you are still trying to decide if your quarterback is good after 61 starts, then he’s not. Jones is 23-37-1 (regular and post-season). Since his rookie season when he threw 24 touchdown passes, he has thrown just 38 touchdown passes in four seasons (less than 10 per year). He does not elevate the team around him. He has no special traits. Jones was at his best when running a remedial offense in 2022, but teams who are disciplined enough to guard against the backside quarterback run have shut that down and Jones has been unable to adapt. He doesn’t challenge defenses enough vertically down the field. He’s at his best when running, but now he is now coming off two neck injuries and an ACL. Three of his five seasons have just been awful. Perhaps most damning of all, there was no noticeable difference in the offense when Taylor and DeVito played, providing a direct, in-season comparison.

HINDSIGHT

Barring some miraculous Daniel Jones renaissance in 2024, it’s clear the team screwed up in offering Jones the 4-year, $160 million deal. “But, but, but…” No buts. Don’t give me this “it’s only a 2-year deal” crap. It’s not. It gets easier to cut him after two years but we’re still talking about $22 million in dead cap space in 2025. It would have been better to franchise him for 1-year, $30 million and re-visit the contract this offseason. The situation with Barkley? You either give him what he wanted or let him test free agency. You can’t let Barkley force your hand with Jones.

The issue here is Daniel Jones was not some unknown commodity to Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll. They had Jones up close and personal for more than a year before they signed him to the new deal. They should have known his strengths and limitations, especially given the way they constantly had to fiddle with the offensive schemes in 2022. The offense the Giants ran at the end of that season was not the one they intended to operate in September.

There are a number of possibilities here, but none of them are a good look for the team. Schoen and Daboll could have decided, based on the way Jones played in the simplified scheme, he could handle more responsibility and complexity in 2023. They may have felt if teams wanted to take away the RPO, Jones can be just as effective as a drop back passer. Did they overrate the Minnesota playoff game while underrating the Philadelphia playoff game? Some claim it’s “conspiracy theory’ but it is not out of the question that ownership exerted pressure to keep Jones. They love the kid.

TRIPLING DOWN ON JONES?

Entering his sixth year with the team, the endless debate continues. The ACL should take 8-10 months to recover from, meaning Jones would be cleared for contact sometime in July, August, or September 2024. Some players recover sooner, some take longer. No one can claim that timeline is ideal. Jones will likely miss OTAs and mini-camps. He may start training camp on the PUP and miss most or all of the summer practices and preseason. Even Schoen publicly admits Jones may not be able to play early in the regular season.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (August 11, 2022)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

Relatedly, Jones’ injury history is worrisome. In his five seasons, he has only been able to stay healthy once. He has suffered two neck injuries, one serious enough to end his season. He has now suffered a serious knee tear, with the team refusing to state whether or not it is more involved than just the ACL. “I’m not getting into specifics of the surgery,” said Schoen when asked. None of this is good for a quarterback who is at his best when running the football. Washington’s Robert Griffin III, another running quarterback, was never the same after his tore his ACL.

Beyond the injuries, is he good enough? Is he the guy you envision going into Philadelphia on Sunday night and outshining Jalen Hurts? Can he beat Pat Mahomes in a Super Bowl and hoist the Lombardi Trophy? With the game on the line, with everything at stake, will he raise the play of those around him and get the job done?

Lurking in the background is the opportunity to simply move on. The Giants are likely to be picking in the top 10 once again, perhaps in the top 5, in a draft with at least three possible franchise quarterbacks. The Giants also have an extra 2nd-round pick if they choose to move up in either the top or bottom of the 1st round.

So do the Giants triple down on Jones? They drafted him. They re-signed him. Do they pass on the franchise quarterback and stick with him for yet another go around? It’s not hyperbole to state that the fate of the franchise for the next five years hangs in the balance.

SCHOEN’S PRESS CONFERENCE

Predictably, the press conference did not provide conclusive evidence of the team’s thinking. Schoen was never going to throw Jones under the bus. And he obviously chose his words carefully. Most likely, fans heard what they wanted to hear. However, there was enough to make both sides be happy or worry.

Evidence they are sticking with Jones: “The expectation is when Daniel’s healthy that he will be our starting quarterback… that’s the expectation moving forward… The quarterback position is important, but it’s ultimately a team game and it’s not all on Daniel by any means.”

Evidence they may be moving on: “It doesn’t (mean we won’t draft a quarterback). I think we’re going to have to do something on the quarterback, whether it’s free agency or the Draft… We’re still going to have to address the position at some point because there’s no guarantee he’s going to be back Week 1.”

The most notable and possibly troublesome quotes (depending on your view of Jones) were these:

If the team would use a #1 pick on quarterback: “We’ll take the best player available. If the best player available for our team is at a certain position, we’ll take it. I mean, we won’t shy away from it.”

If the team still believes in Jones: “I mean, I’ve seen it. You guys all saw last season. The guy won 10 games. He won a road playoff game for the Giants. You guys saw the preseason. I just think we got punched in the nose early on and we dug ourselves a hole and we weren’t able to get out of it. We’re trying to right now, but we still believe in Daniel and the person… Who can we bring in that can maybe help us win a couple of games while Daniel gets healthy, or maybe Daniel will be ready Week 1.”

On one hand, it seems pretty clear Schoen is saying that Jones is still their guy. On the other hand, no team would even consider drafting a quarterback in the first round if they are happy with their starter and that guy is still in his prime. And the general manager did not close the door on that possibility. One can argue that Schoen is simply providing the usual best-player-available talking point and we should not read too much into it? Perhaps. At the same time, do you expect a team in the Giants situation to state before the draft that they are moving on from their starter and are definitely in the market for a quarterback in the first round? I don’t. That is not only an unnecessary insult to Jones at this time, but it doesn’t help the team hide their intentions. Furthermore, the team’s “intention” to have Jones start the 2024 season does not necessarily mean they won’t draft his replacement. Kurt Warner went 5-4 for the Giants before Eli Manning finished 2004 by going 1-6.

Would Schoen parse his words like a lawyer? I don’t know. As I said, fans will read into the press conference what they want to read. Only time will tell.

WRAPPING THIS UP… THE RISK

Did you make it this far? Thanks for sticking with me.

Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are fools if they don’t recognize the risk here. John Mara will react to empty seats. He did so in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. When fans stop showing up, he starts firing people. He’s done it over and over again. Those claiming otherwise are not living in the real world. Twelve years of mostly shitty football has taken its toll on this fanbase. America of the 2020’s is not America of the 1960’s-1970’s. Demographics, entertainment options, attention spans, and patience levels are vastly different. I think I have a a decent feel for the pulse of the fanbase. They are tired. This isn’t fun anymore. It’s one thing to lose for a decade, but it’s another to constantly get embarrassed, especially by the Cowboys and Eagles.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (December 18, 2022)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

I made this claim in The Forum and I’ll make it again here, I’m not sure the fanbase will accept heading into 2024 with Daniel Jones as the projected year-long starter at quarterback. If the team somehow starts off 3-1, opinions and support levels can change rapidly, but the odds on that happening are not great. It’s far more likely that the League schedules a Giants-Cowboys Sunday or Monday night game to start the season, with a rusty Jones getting shellacked 35-10. You could see the bottom drop out in Week 1 or 2. And would anyone be shocked to hear these words in Week 6? “Daniel Jones is questionable to return with a neck injury.”

Whether they know it or not, Schoen and Daboll will be on thin ice in 2024. Unless something strange happens to all three teams, the Eagles and Cowboys will still be vastly superior to the Giants next year. I’m not sure Schoen and Daboll can survive another 5-12 type season with no hope at quarterback. The stands will be empty. On the other hand, some young exciting player at the position buys them time because the fans have hope. They will come out to watch a losing product if they have hope in the future and there is someone entertaining to watch, be that Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels.

There is also the possibility the team trades up into the late first round, and take one of the lesser regarded prospects. Jones then serves as the bridge quarterback until this guy is ready. The risk there is this, do the Giants want to look back on 2024 as they year they passed up on Williams, May, or Daniels for someone like Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy, or Michael Penix?

So do Schoen and Daboll want to continue to tie their fate to Jones? There is no guarantee that even if the Giants fix the offensive line and add more weapons that Jones will win. His injury history suggests he will have trouble even finishing the season healthy. But won’t Schoen and Daboll also be tying their fate to the new quarterback? Yes. But maybe they would feel better sinking or swimming with the guy they drafted, who isn’t already damaged goods.

Meanwhile, there are those still clinging to the belief that Jones’ injuries won’t be an issue. That if you just give him an offensive line and a #1 receiver, everything will be fine and Jones can lead the Giants past the Eagles and Cowboys. Jones will triple his TD throw average of the past four years. It’s not impossible. It would be a really nice story for the young man. But it’s starting to sound more like a prayer than accepting reality at this point.

If ownership did not have any deciding role in retaining Daniel Jones, they should be asking uncomfortable questions as to why they were asked to write a $160 million check for someone who the team is already possibly seeking to replace. On the other hand, if ownership did have a role in bringing back Jones because of some emotional connection, this is further evidence they should keep out of personnel matters. This is a time for tough decisions, not misplaced loyalty.

Your move Joe and Brian.

Nov 082023
 
Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 2, 2023)

Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS MAKE ROSTER MOVES AT QUARTERBACK…
The New York Giants have placed QB Daniel Jones (ACL) on Injured Reserve and signed QB Matt Barkley to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. In addition, the Giants have signed QB Jacob Eason and RB Hassan Hall to the Practice Squad.

Meanwhile, Head Coach Brian Daboll said rookie Tommy DeVito will start against the Dallas Cowboys.

The 25-year old, 6’6”, 231-pound Eason was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He has spent time with the Indianapolis Colts (2020-2021), Seattle Seahawks (2021-2022), Carolina Panthers (2022), San Francisco 49ers (2022), and Carolina Panthers (2023). Eason has only thrown 10 passes in two NFL regular-season games.

The 23-year old, 5’10”, 196-pound Hall was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Cleveland Browns after the 2023 NFL Draft. He has spent time on the Practice Squads of the Browns and Arizona Cardinals this year.

NOVEMBER 8, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
RB Deon Jackson (concussion), RT Evan Neal (ankle), OL Sean Harlow (personal matter), NT Dexter Lawrence (rest day), and CB Adoree’ Jackson (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday.

When asked about Neal, who was spotted on crutches in the locker room, Head Coach Brian Daboll responded, “I’d say he’s not great. I’d put him in the week-to-week category. Not going to say he’s definitely not going to make it, but I’d say he’s probably more week-to-week than day-to-day.”

RB Jashaun Corbin (hamstring), WR Parris Campbell (hamstring), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (ankle) were limited in practice.

Ojulari, who was placed on Injured Reserve in mid-October with an ankle injury, has been designated for return. The Giants now have 21 days to either activate him to the 53-man roster or keep him on IR for the rest of the season. “We’re going to open Azeez up so hopefully he’ll be ready to go this week,” said Daboll.

OL Justin Pugh (ankle) and S Dane Belton (back) fully practiced.

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Thursday afternoon. The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Nov 012023
 
Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants (October 29, 2023)

Dexter Lawrence – © USA TODAY Sports

NOVEMBER 1, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
QB Tyrod Taylor (ribs) and TE Darren Waller (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday.

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), RT Evan Neal (ankle), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (back), and PK Graham Gano (left knee) were limited in practice.

QB Daniel Jones (neck) fully practiced.

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Thursday afternoon. The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Oct 302023
 
Tyrod Taylor, New York Giants (October 29, 2023)

Tyrod Taylor – © USA TODAY Sports

LEONARD WILLIAMS TRADED TO SEAHAWKS…
In advance of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the New York Giants have traded defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks. In return, the Giants will receive 2nd-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a 5th-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to multiple media reports, the Giants will still be responsible for most of the remaining $10 million prorated portion of his 2023 salary. Williams was set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Williams was the sixth player taken overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. The Giants acquired Williams by trade from the New York Jets in late October 2019 in exchange for 3rd- and 5th-round draft picks. His best NFL season was with the Giants in 2020 when he finished with 57 tackles, 14 tackles for losses, 11.5 sacks, and 30 quarterback hits. Williams missed four regular-season games in 2022 due to knee (3 games) and neck/stinger (1 game) injuries. The neck issue nagged him for most of the second half of the season and also caused him to exit a few games early. Williams finished with his least productive season since joining the Giants in 2019, being credited with 45 tackles, five tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Through eight games this year, Williams had 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

DANIEL JONES CLEARED FOR CONTACT…
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been cleared for contact by doctors. Jones has missed three consecutive games with a neck injury that he suffered in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins. Jones will practice fully on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, back-up quarterback Tyrod Taylor spent Sunday night, being evaluated for a rib injury that knocked him out of the game against the New York Jets. Hew was released this afternoon and ESPN is reporting that he is “week-to-week” in terms of when he will be able to play again.

OCTOBER 30, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: Do you have any update on (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) to get out of the hospital or anything like that?

A: He’s still there and he has ribs. He’s pretty sore today.

Q: Are the ribs broken? Or why are they keeping him there, I guess? Just to keep him stabilized.

A: Yeah, I’m not going to get into – he’s got ribs. I’m not going to get into what they are. He’s pretty sore right now so assuming he’ll be out here – I can’t tell you when, but he’s got sore ribs right now.

Q: It sounds like it’s just a matter of discomfort, he’s not in any danger or anything.

A: No, no, no. He’s okay in that regard, yeah.

Q: Can you take us through the timeline with (quarterback) Daniel (Jones) here? It sounds like he’s been cleared for contact.

A: He met with the doctor pregame, so he did his tests. The week before he did it on Friday, so he did his tests and they told me he’d be ready to go next week.

Q: So that means that Daniel will be on the practice field and should be good to go full on Wednesday. Is that correct?

A: Correct.

Q: Did you think about in overtime – obviously, most of the time in overtime the team that wins the toss wants the ball in overtime but given the strange nature of this game and the way you were leaning on defense and special teams and field position, was that a debate? Was that something you were thinking about?

A: Yeah, it was discussed. It was definitely discussed but decided to take it.

Q: What was the main reason to decide to take it there?

A: I mean, they’d driven down there in (regulation), had some stuff that we liked so decided to take it and try to go down there and score.

Q: Just a followup, so why the appointment on Sunday morning? Like why couldn’t it have been Saturday because conceivably he could’ve played yesterday.

A: That’s when it was so those guys told me after – actually, they told me after the game so that’s when it was.

Q: What do you mean? Like scheduling purposes? I think it’s —

A: No, no, no. That’s when it was. He was in the training room before the game and they told me about it after.

Q: Yesterday you said it was going to be a run heavy game plan regardless, so just curious why seven wide receivers and only two tight ends? Because obviously losing (tight end) Darren (Waller) impacted what you could do there.

A: Again, we had a back up plan and I’d say the weather, I mean, we were going to run the ball, too, the weather played – you never know what the weather’s going to be, we figured it’d be rainy, played an important part of it. But we had a back up tackle ready to go in that regard that we felt – was (guard Marcus) McKethan in the blocking aspect of it.

Q: Obviously, you ran the ball a ton there in the second half. Why not just more creativity? You didn’t do any two running back sets, you only had one wildcat snap, you didn’t get (wide receiver) Parris (Campbell) involved in end arounds. Whatever it may have been, it seemed like it was pretty vanilla.

A: I mean, got (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) involved. The schemes, not sure if you looked at the schemes, the schemes were a variety of schemes that we had. Different types of traps, tackle traps, guard traps, toss cracks, speed sweeps, inside zones, zone reads, a wildcat play, I wouldn’t just say it was one run. I’d say it was, schematically, a variety of runs.

Q: With Tyrod, are you hopeful that he’s going to get released today? Or is he going to have to stay there a little while in the hospital?

A: I don’t know that yet. I’m hopeful it’ll be here soon but it’s sore ribs, so.

Q: With Daniel, I know you said that’s just when the appointment was but why was he not a possibility then to at least be the backup?

A: I told you when they told me he was going to be out. They told me he was out, so he was out, and they told me after the game that they looked at him he’d be ready to go.

Q: And you had an opportunity to go back, I’m sure you watched the game at this point, the whole way the end of the game unfolded, kicking the field goal, the offsides, the spotting of the ball, getting the ball to start overtime, is there anything that you look back on and you were unsure about now that you had more time? What did you think when you went back and watched that last five minutes of game action?

A: We had some chances there. We had some chances to – probably about a handful of plays that if we make one of them, probably get a different result. You look at a lot, obviously, but going for the field goal, I’m secure with what we did there.

Q: What about the (running back) Saquon (Barkley) play? The first down. It was almost like – did he think that you didn’t want to score? Did he think they were letting him score? Did you talk to him about that?

A: Yeah, I did. No, he made a cut and he kind of bounced it back, then he was so conscious of the ball, he was squeezing on the ball, he slipped a little bit.

Q: So, you didn’t tell Saquon to get down in that situation?

A: No.

Q: On Daniel, why was he listed questionable last week for Washington but ruled out for the Jets game?

A: He got looked at on Friday, so I was waiting until – it was Friday at 3:30, I believe, his appointment to see where he was at. That was the – whatever it was two Friday’s ago and then he didn’t have one this week. So, like I said, when they told me he was out, that’s when I told you guys he was out.

Q: As far as his actual injury and being cleared, apparently, it’s a disk issue and he had a disk issue two years ago. What does the training staff tell you about why he’s safe enough to handle contact? Because that’s obviously a very serious thing and a serious part of the body.

A: I’d say that he met with the spine surgeon, the doctor, and the doctor cleared him. I sat down with them, that’s what they’ve told me, so he’s cleared from that doctor.

Q: Why on Friday did you kind of go out of your way to almost lead us to believe that Daniel would be awhile or perhaps even if we wanted to extrapolate, which we shouldn’t I guess, but maybe that he even had a setback?

A: All I said was he’s getting better, and we’ll see what happens next week. I think I said it a few times. Which he’s getting better, and we’ll see where we’re at next week. That’s what they told me.

Q: You’re getting a lot of questions about Daniel and perhaps being active on Sunday. Can you just clarify the rule on that? Once you list him out on Friday, can you change that on Sunday morning?

A: No, he’s out.

Q: So, there was no possibility even if you would have known Sunday morning?

A: Again, I go by the doctors. When they tell me he’s out, he’s out.

Q: Considering Tyrod’s situation, do you guys need to work out quarterbacks and look at adding a quarterback this week?

A: Yeah, (Senior Vice President/General Manager) Joe (Schoen) and I will – I’ll go back upstairs, and I’ll have a meeting here with Joe shortly.

Q: Anything on (kicker) Graham (Gano)? You said yesterday he’s fine but is there any concern about his health at all?

A: No, he’ll be okay.

Q: A lot has been made about the gameplan in the second half and running the football and going through Saquon. How much of that was the gameplan and how much of it was (quarterback Tommy) DeVito being in there? There’s this feeling that you guys didn’t trust DeVito to throw the football and if that was the case then why would he be your backup quarterback on gameday?

A: I think there’s always adjustments but the way our defense was playing, we were going to make sure we took care of the ball, end every drive with a kick, have good ball security and again, a few plays here and there, we make one of them, we probably get a different result. That was the plan going in after halftime.

Q: Was it a statement about DeVito?

A: I think there’s a lot of things that played into it. The weather, it’s a heck of a defense, making sure we’re doing what we need to do in terms of staying on track and if we have to punt, we have to punt. The way our defense was playing against their offense, felt good about that. Try to play a field position game and that’s what we were going to try to do.

Q: Just curious, do you guys need to bring in a quarterback given Tyrod’s situation this week?

A: Yeah, somebody asked that.

Q: Sorry. Got cut off for a second.

A: No, that’s okay. I’m going to go back up there and meet with Joe here, so we’ll talk about that. It’s definitely a possibility.

Q: There’s obviously a lot of questions about the timing of these appointments or these checkups. Are you at all frustrated by them or confused about the timing of them? If he’d been cleared sooner, there could’ve been some adjustments made.

A: I’d say whenever they tell me he’s ready, that’s when he’s ready. So, when they tell me he’s not ready, he’s not ready. When they did, he’s ready, so whenever they give me the information.

Q: Just the big picture. What does it mean to a team to get its quarterback back?

A: Yeah, it’s good. Again, whether it’s the quarterback, the left tackle, the right tackle, the running back – I mean, any time you can get good players, it certainly helps.

Q: The left tackle and right tackle are probably making progress too towards Sunday?

A: Making progress, but we’ll see where we’re at Wednesday here.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and there is no media availability to the team. The players return to practice on Wednesday.

Oct 252023
 
Leonard Williams, New York Giants (October 22, 2023)

Leonard Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

OCTOBER 25, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The following two players did not practice on Wednesday:

  • RB Gary Brightwell (hamstring)
  • DL Leonard Williams (rest day)

The following nine players were limited in practice:

  • QB Daniel Jones (neck)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (elbow)
  • TE Darren Waller (hamstring)
  • LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring)
  • RT Evan Neal (ankle)
  • OC John Michael Schmitz (shoulder)
  • OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (knee)
  • CB Adoree’ Jackson (neck)
  • PK Graham Gano (left knee)

When asked about Daniel Jones, Head Coach Brian Daboll replied, “Same as he was last week. He’ll do stuff at practice, non-contact. Getting better, but same… no team reps (in practice).”

“There’s a number of tests that they’re looking to see improvement,” said Jones. “I can do pretty much everything. I can throw, I can run, I can lift. It’s just a contact thing… I think there are still some symptoms there.”

As for Thomas, he told the press after practice, “Not too bad today. First time I’ve put on a helmet in a while, so that was a good feeling being out there with my teammates again. More than I’ve been doing by myself with the trainers and stuff like that. Just continue to stress it and see how it responds… I think I’m just following the plans of the trainers like I think they just want me to kind of mimic what I would do if I was at practice, but they also want to limit and not just cut me loose because there is a chance you can make it worse with soft tissue, so that’s the plan I’m trying to follow.”

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Thursday afternoon. The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Oct 182023
 
Josh Miles, Arizona Cardinals (August 13, 2021)

Josh Miles – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have made the following roster moves:

  • Placed OL Joshua Ezeudu on Injured Reserve with a toe injury that he suffered in the game against the Buffalo Bills. Head Coach Brian Daboll said he did not know if Ezeudu will return this year; his season may be over.
  • Waived OT Jalen Mayfield from the 53-man roster and re-signed him to the Practice Squad. Mayfield was signed to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad on Saturday.
  • Waived TE Lawrence Cager from the 53-man roster.
  • Re-signed OL Tyre Phillips to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad of the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Signed OT Josh Miles to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad of the Atlanta Falcons.
  • Signed OL Justin Pugh to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

The Giants originally claimed Tyre Phillips off of waivers from the Baltimore Ravens in early September 2022. He played in 12 games with five starts, including four games at right tackle when Evan Neal was out and the regular-season finale at left tackle. The 6’5”, 330-pound Phillips was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Ravens. He has experience playing both guard and tackle.

The 27-year old, 6’5”, 325-pound Miles was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He has played in 17 games with no starts. Miles missed all of 2022 with an undisclosed injury and was signed by the Falcons in March 2023.

The Carolina Panthers signed S Alex Cook off of the Giants’ Practice Squad to their 53-man roster.

OCTOBER 18, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The following five players did not practice on Wednesday:

  • OL Andrew Thomas (hamstring)
  • OL OL John Michael Schmitz (shoulder)
  • OL Evan Neal (ankle)
  • OL Matt Peart (shoulder)
  • WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee – maintenance day)

The following seven players were limited in practice:

  • QB Daniel Jones (neck)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle)
  • OL Mark Glowinski (quad/ankle)
  • OL Shane Lemieux (biceps/groin)
  • CB Adoree’ Jackson (neck)
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott (ankle/shoulder)
  • PK Graham Gano (knee)

The following three players fully practiced:

  • RB Gary Brightwell (ankle)
  • DL D.J. Davidson (knee)
  • CB Tre Hawkins (knee)

Daniel Jones has not yet been cleared for contact. “He’s doing better,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “He’ll be out here today at practice doing some stuff. We’ll see where we’re at… He’ll be throwing, and I would say he’s eager to come back. He wants to play, but obviously, just like any player, if you’re not ready to play based on the doctor’s evaluation, we won’t put him out there, but he’s getting better. That’s why we’re going to have him out here today.

“Andrew Thomas will not participate but he is getting better. He’s going to be doing stuff with the trainers. He is getting closer… (Evan Neal’s ankle is) swollen a little bit, so we’re going to rehab him.”

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Thursday afternoon. The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Oct 112023
 
Bobby Okereke, New York Giants (October 2, 2023)

Bobby Okereke – © USA TODAY Sports

OCTOBER 11, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The following eight players did not practice on Wednesday:

  • QB Daniel Jones (neck)
  • WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee)
  • TE Darren Waller (groin)
  • LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring)
  • OC John Michael Schmitz (shoulder)
  • OT Matt Peart (shoulder)
  • ILB Micah McFadden (ankle)
  • OLB Azeez Ojulari (ankle)

In addition, the following six players were limited in practice:

  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle)
  • RB Gary Brightwell (ankle)
  • OG Marcus McKethan (knee)
  • OL Shane Lemieux (groin)
  • CB Deonte Banks (ankle)
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott (ankle)

“We’re day-to-day with (Daniel Jones),” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “I’d just say let’s let it play out here. Today, he’s not practicing. We’ll see how he is the next day, then the next day after that and then I think we’ll take this all the way to the end of the week… I’m not going to get into the exact details of (the injury), but he is a little bit more sore today so we’ll see where he is tomorrow.”

“Still a little bit sore but feeling better,” said Jones. “Felt better every day since Sunday, so just continuing to listen to the doctors and trainers and trying to get better as quick as possible… the goal is still to play Sunday, that’s certainly my goal and that’s what I’m working on. I’m preparing to play like I always would and taking the advice of the doctors and trainers.”

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
The Giants have restored WR Cole Beasley to the Practice Squad from the Practice Squad/Injured List. They have also signed OT Yodny Cajuste to the Practice Squad. To make room for these two, the Giants terminated the Practice Squad contracts of WR Cam Sims and CB Amani Oruwariye.

The 27-year old, 6’5”, 310-pound Cajuste was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In four seasons with the Patriots, Cajuste played in 17 games with five starts. In May 2023, he was waived by the Patriots and signed by the New York Jets, who then cut him in August.

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Thursday afternoon. The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Oct 082023
 
New York Giants Defense (October 8, 2023)

Giants defense gave up over 500 yards

MIAMI DOLPHINS 31 – NEW YORK GIANTS 16…
For the fourth time in five games, the New York Giants were obliterated by their opponent, this time losing 31-16 to the Miami Dolphins. Worse, quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a neck injury in the 4th quarter. X-rays were taken after the game and he will undergo further scans on Monday. Jones suffered a neck injury in Week 12 in 2021, which caused him to miss the rest of that season.

As for the game, it was more of the same for the Giants. New York still has not scored an offensive touchdown in the first half of a game this season, and did not score an offensive touchdown in this game. An offensive line already missing three players lost another during the contest. Jones was sacked six times and back-up quarterback Tyrod Taylor was also sacked once. The defense finally created a turnover, actually three, but gave up over 500 yards of offense.

Miami out-gained New York in first downs (22 to 15), total net yards (524 to 268), net yards rushing (222 to 85), and net yards passing (302 to 183). The Giants did win the time of possession (35:59 to 24:01) and turnover (3 to 0) battles.

The Giants received the ball to start the game, picked up one first down, and then punted. The Dolphins then easily drove 89 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 early lead with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass. The Giants held the ball for more than seven minutes on their second possession, but only netted 38 yards on 13 plays. Place kicker Graham Gano missed his 55-yard field goal on the first play of the 2nd quarter.

Miami’s second possession ended when safety Xavier McKinney forced running back De’Von Achane to fumble with linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux recovering the loose ball at the New York 38-yard line. However, the Giants’ offense went three-and-out. The ensuing punt was downed at the 6-yard line. Three plays later, Achane redeemed himself with 76-yard touchdown sprint to give the Dolphins a 14-0 advantage.

New York’s offense finally put points on the board on their fourth and final possession of the first half, as the team took another six minutes off of the clock with a 13-play, 44-yard drive that ended with a 49-yard field goal by Gano to cut the score to 14-3 with 3:41 left before halftime.

Highlighted by a 64-yard pass to wideout Tyreek Hill, it only took Miami two plays to reach the Giants’ 4-yard line. However, on 3rd-and-goal, Tagovailoa’s pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was deflected by linebacker Bobby Okereke and intercepted in the end zone by safety Jason Pinnock. He returned the pick 102 yards for a defensive touchdown.

Despite the one-sided game, the Giants only trailed by four points with 1:35 to play. Miami’s offense did put more points on the board before halftime, moving 50 yards in nine plays to set up a 40-yard field goal.

At the half, the Dolphins led 17-10.

A back-breaker occurred early in the 3rd quarter. On Miami’s third play, on 3rd-and-4, Tagovailoa completed a 69-yard touchdown to Hill. In less than a minute, the score was now 24-10. The Giants responded with a couple of first downs and punted. Nevertheless, New York was still very much alive when Okereke intercepted Tagovailoa on 3rd-and-4, returning the ball to the Miami 22-yard line. A holding penalty on reserve offensive lineman Jalen Mayfield pushed the Giants back on 3rd-and-3 and the team settled for a 37-yard field goal by Gano. Dolphins 24 – Giants 13.

For all intents and purposes, the Dolphins put the game away on their next possession. An 8-play, 75-yard drive ended with a 2-yard touchdown run at the end of the 3rd quarter. Every yard of this possession was gained on the ground.

Both teams went three-and-out early in the 4th quarter. Jones was then knocked out of the game on the first play of the second New York possession of the quarter. Taylor replaced him at quarterback with the Giants only netting 18 yards in 10 plays to set up a 51-yard field goal to make the score 31-16 with just under nine minutes to play.

After another three-and-out by the Dolphins, Taylor and the Giants gained 66 yards on 13 plays, but the possession ended with Taylor being tackled just short of the first-down marker on 4th-and-3 at the 19-yard line with 1:21 left to play. The Dolphins then ran out the clock.

Jones was 14-of-20 for 119 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was sacked six times and left the game injured. Taylor was 9-of-12 for 86 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked once. The leading receiver was tight end Darren Waller with eight catches for 86 yards. Running back Eric Gray led the team in rushing with just 25 yards on 12 carries. Running back Matt Breida had 21 yards on nine carries.

Defensively, the Giants allowed over 500 yards of offense, including chunk plays of 76, 69, and 64 yards. The Giants finally did create their first turnovers of the year, with three, including a defensive score. Thibodeaux had the team’s only sack.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated offensive linemen Jaylon Thomas and Jalen Mayfield from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), OC John Michael Schmitz (shoulder), OL Shane Lemieux (groin), ILB Micah McFadden (ankle), DL Jordon Riley, and S Gervarrius Owens.

QB Daniel Jones (neck), OG Marcus McKethan (knee), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (ankle) all left the game with injuries. QB Tyrod Taylor also had the wind knocked out of him and CB Deonte Banks injured his ankle late in the contest.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Oct 042023
 
Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (October 2, 2023)

Wan’Dale Robinson – © USA TODAY Sports

OCTOBER 4, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), OC John Michael Schmitz (shoulder), and OL Shane Lemieux (groin) did not practice on Wednesday.

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), RB Gary Brightwell (ankle), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), TE Daniel Bellinger (knee), RT Evan Neal (hand/ankle), OG Marcus McKethan (knee), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice.

TAIWAN JONES CUT…
To make room for OG Justin Pugh, who was signed to the Practice Squad yesterday, the team terminated the Practice Squad contract of RB Taiwan Jones on Tuesday as well.

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The team practices again on Thursday afternoon (12:45PM). The coordinators and select players will also address the media.